Politics By Jim-beau Lieyeah

Jan.9, 2001- HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!! After a most restful holiday, I am ready to take on Canadian events with my own particular spin.

Today, I am surrounded by a white winter wonderland. Sometimes, I can not help but wonder if a white landscape is ingrained in our Canadian psyche. Snowdrifts and manmade piles of snow isolate us from our neighbours for months at a time. Deaf to sound and only white tunnels to see through have trans- formed this country.

Once a _ Native nation, snatched away by white Europeans, whose only distinction Natives could recognize were the varying languages coming out of their mouths. The num- bers of languages spoken in this land have grown over time and are reflect- ed in the umbrella term we g? society known as multiculture Was 50

But recent events cau attention because their reter claws revolved around racism apu’re open- While much has_ beejftieth birth- progress in these areas, it couple of incidents for

to rise up from the 2 oleum ‘was Here is my spin on thos $63.

9 4m is a superior carpet because It was a Happ: removed more

-| Joyeuse Hanukkah?’

some in Quebec for . ferent reasons. The b. Yves Michuad. Why? Mh, a sado- a long time separatist vtrocuted for lacks any sort of tact. wack so many that he wanted to run for his body that provincial party, the Paort circuit in (PQ), in the downtown ing ie ple: ing of Mercier. He become known as, a h ‘ver convicted ratist, which means thai country now. Why does IF death sen- In a December radio intfUmny gag shared these events with the pi Mouth Michaud was getting a. when Senator Leo Kolber, w: Québécois of Jewish decent, w lead- in. Although adversaries they eng:

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in some small talk that went some- thing like, “Are you still a separatist Yves,” to which he responded, “Yes, yes, | am a separatist just as you are a Jew.” Not surprisingly the conversa- tion continued to degenerate.

Michaud, the astute historian, then points out that it took Jews 2000 years to have their own country. He too was prepared to wait for his even- tuality. Kolber refused to bite on this attempted comparison between Québécois and the Jews drive for self determination. This really got Michaud going.

Baited, he then pointed at other races that have suffered discrim- ination like the Armenians (millions of whom died at the hands of Turks in

the 2oth century’ s ost holocaust), the

RR er “all, they _ are their sisters.

FACT: In most elections, less than half the population votes. OPINION: More people would vote if candidates cursed more dur- ing speeches.

FACT: In the 1968 presidential election, a pig named Pigasus ran for president.

OPINION: | bet if livestock ever get elected, the sex scandals in Washington would be more inter- esting. |

FACT: 80% of the presidential elections in the past 50 years were won by the tallest candidate. OPINION: Short people should not run the country. They should stick to working at the circus, rid- ing little horses and repairing shoes.

FACT: sonceees to an old wives’

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have achieved more.

But out of this breach of free speech, the PQ party is beginning to show signs of fracturing. The hardlin- ers like Michaud because he is a throwback to the Jacques Parizeau days where sovereignty needed to be achieved at any cost.

Bouchard has taken more of a moderate tone looking for an opportu- nity to have another referendum that has a chance of winning. He realizes that losing another could have devas- tating consequences on the move- ment. He is also trying to take a mod- erate tone to try to calm the waters that rose up in a tidal wave like fash- ion when Parizeau uttered the now famous words on why the PQ lost the referendum because of, “money and ethnic votes.” Bouchard wants a sepa- rate Quebec that all Québécois can feel a part of whether they are pure

blaine (pure wool), coton (cotton), or

telyester. I think that he is right to try achieve this although as a betting ‘1 do not like his chances. escap} So where does that leave able tody- Federalist Québécois can the Bg fort in this situation, which is OPINY to calm down. The pot is on nd the lobsters are on hold. Pee becoming divided between you thr ‘liners and those more mod- to walk @ eal showdown will be in lars if ¥yhen the party has its con- answeT. “hich will include a motion yce. And those events in FACT: Fortime could put a smile on part of the cj at least 50.58% of el paint that ¢ use in assemb, OPINION: The. the second world

pink. ier but the rules of

iken an interesting

executive director FACT: A favorigy Art Gallery in

in China are spi¢g a can of worms OPINION: Wh Basically, he said it, chicken feet; ood of mankind than where Chyell served because

is es art from

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the ravages of war. While this state- ment is shocking it must be viewed in context.

The director was on the hot seat when asked if any art in his gallery might have been attained through some earlier plundering. He is right in one sense that art is some- thing man-made that outlasts the cre- ator (in most cases anyway). But his faux-pas was in finding some sort of bizarre silver lining in this tragedy.

Imagine if war broke out here on the Island between say the eastern- ers and the westerners. Someone comes into your town and summarily begins arresting everyone with a fam- ily name that starts with say M. They bring them into the town circle and summarily shoot everyone in the head. Then, before the buzzards even have a chance to start picking at the corpses, a free-for-all ensues whereby all of the worldly possessions of a family home are taken. A family por- trait by Yousef Karsh (a famous Canadian photographer) is taken for its frame, a one of a kind gold Birks neckless is stolen, a gem-covered Christmas ornament is snatched, and an Alex Colville original is liberated. Any way you flip this hypothetical sit- uation it stinks.

Would mankind be better off because of these liberators? Perhaps the whole thing needs to be flipped on its head. Maybe it is better off that these things get destroyed in a random bombing. Why? To serve as a testa- ment that ill gotten gains are better left to the ill.

Lumsden is an art lover. In his eye’s, art belongs to humanity, not the highest bidder at a Sotheby’s auction. And perhaps he is right. But art that has survived the holocaust of war thanks to pillaging should never be viewed from any other perspective than it has been stolen from people who were murdered.

GONZO OUT

The Cadre

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